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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
English in UK

Want / Must

Hello,
Recently, I've been told
"(To do this exercise properly) what you want to do is ...".

For me, it sounds a bit odd. I would have said
"if you want to do this exercise then you must do ..."

Is it possible to use sometimes "want" in the sense of "must" ?

Thanks,
JS
  

Top answer

". For me, it ... [/nq] I think that it's increasingly being used colloquially in that sense.

— Usenet

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  • For me, it ...
  • [/nq] I think that it's increasingly being used colloquially in that sense.
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4 Answers
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[nq:1]Hello, Recently, I've been told "(To do this exercise properly) what you want to do is ...". For me, it ... this exercise then you must do ..." Is it possible to use sometimes "want" in the sense of "must" ?[/nq]
I think that it's increasingly being used colloquially in that sense.
John Hall
"Sir, I have found you an argument;
but I am not obliged to find you an understandin
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[nq:1]Hello, Recently, I've been told "(To do this exercise properly) what you want to do is ...". For me, it ... this exercise then you must do ..." Is it possible to use sometimes "want" in the sense of "must" ?[/nq]
I think it means "need", "had better".
Bye, FB

Emily: "I'm going to Europe and I'm going to have a marvellous time. I'm going to get up at ten and have two glasses
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[nq:2]Hello, Recently, I've been told "(To do this exercise properly) ... to use sometimes "want" in the sense of "must" ?[/nq]
[nq:1]I think that it's increasingly being used colloquially in that sense.[/nq]
Meaning "must", not "need"?
Bye, FB

"The doctors found out that Bunbury could not live, that is what I mean¡Xso Bunbury died".
"He seems to have had great confidence
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[nq:1]Meaning "must", not "need"?[/nq]
Perhaps not, though the distinction between "must do" and "need to do" in that sentence would be quite a fine one.

John Hall
"Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes." Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
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